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Easy ways to teach mindfulness to your child

Research shows that mindfulness not only helps your child focus better, it also regulates their emotion and builds their decision-making skills by being aware of their inner and outer experiences. Here are a few everyday habits you can build to help them become mindful.

Sitting still: Mindful breathing or meditation can be loaded terms for your child. Start by doing simple exercises such as sitting still for two-three minutes with eyes closed and focusing on their body, starting from toes, then feet, legs and upwards. The idea is to make them aware of their thoughts and what they feel in that moment. Repeat the exercise at bedtime, just before they go off to sleep.

Mindful eating: It’s all about activating all your senses when you eat by paying attention to the colour, taste, smell, texture of the food you eat. Tell them to eat slowly and observe each morsel that goes in, be it a meal or chocolate. It will also make them aware of the fact whether they are eating out of hunger or because it’s triggered by an emotion.

Nature walks: Take them out to a park and tell them to focus on the various sounds they hear, birds singing, rustle of the leaves, wind, cacophony of the kids, and as you walk, ask them to observe things which they had never noticed before.

Compassion and gratitude: Develop a ritual where the entire family sits together, maybe at the dinner table, and narrates the favourite part of the day gone by, and also one act of kindness that they did—it could be towards an elderly, a friend, a dog, even a butterfly.

Be a role model: Children often follow their parents’ behaviour, so make sure you practice what you preach. Build your own set of mindful habits and follow themKeep your expectations from your child real, by not forcing them into something they don’t want to do. After all, isn’t mindfulness also about letting go at times?